Gravity feed centrifugal pump



May 1o, 1949.

Filed Feb. 16, 1945l J. H. V. FINNEY GRAVITY FEED GENTRIFUGAL PUMP 2 Sheets-.Sheet 1 ATTORNEY May 10, 1949. J. H. v. FINNEY GRAVITY FEED CENTRIFUGAL PUMP 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 16, 1945 Fly JOHN I1. V.' FINNEY l Y INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY Patented May 10, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GRAVXTY FEED CENTRIFUGAL PUMP John H. V. Finney, Denver, Colo.

Application February 16, 1945, Serial No. 578,250

(Cl. 10S-103) 11 Claims. 1

This invention relates to centrifugal pumps of the gravity feed type.

Centrifugal pumps of the gravity feed type are employed frequently where floor space is limited and it is necessary that the pump be supported on the floor close to the apparatus supplying the material to be pumped. One conventional type of gravity feed pump is provided with a vertical spindle with the pump impeller at the lower end. This arrangement of the pump makes it possible to loc-ate the inlet basin or feed chamber Very close to the door, however, the impeller cannot be removed or repaired without disturbing the operating mechanism and the intake and discharge connections.

These pumps are frequently employed under severe operating conditions such as are met in the handling of ore concentrates or sludges which contain quantities of solid matter and abrasive material. It is, therefore, desirable to provide a pump construction which affords ready access to all working parts of the mechanism for service and repair. Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a centrifugal pump of the gravity feed type having an improved arrangement for affording access to the pump impeller.

The features of novelty which characterize this invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims appended hereto. The invention itself however both as to its organization and arrangement together with further objects and advan-v tages thereof will best be understood upon reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation view, partly in section, of a centrifugal pump embodying the invention;

Fig. 1A is a view like that of Fig. 1 showing the pump provided with a different type of impeller;

Fig. 2 is la front elevation view of the pump shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a view on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings, the pump illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 is provided with a base 5 for supporting the pump assembly close to a hori- Zontal surface 6. A supporting structure 'I is mounted on the base 5 and carries a bearing assembly 8 in which a spindle Sl is rotatably mounted at an inclination of about 45 to the vertical. The lower end of the spindle passes through an opening Ill in a iiat wall II formed as an integral part of the support I, and an impeller I2 detach-ably secured to `the lower end of the spindle is arranged to rotate in a pump chaine f .1 ber or casing formed by a dat plate I3 and a dished plate I4 secured by bolts I5 to the Wall II. The plate I3 is provided with an intake port I6 registering with the opening ill. In order to direct the material to be pumped into the intake port a feed chamber is formed integrally with the support I and with the wall II as one wall thereof. The feed chamber includes an inclined dat wall I'l opposite the wall I I and lying parallel to the spindle, so that the feed chamber is Ia trough of V-shaped cross section.

The impeller I2 is a centrifugal Wheel having a plurality of curved arms `the tops of which are tapered from the center or hub outwardly and the plate I3 is shaped to conform to the top of the wheel and to cooperate with the hollow plate ld to form a pump chamber of the required shape. Adjustments of the position of the impeller in the casing to provide the correct clearance between the impeller and the plates I3 and I4 may be made by moving the bearing housing 8 along its support on the structure l. Adjusting screws I8 which engage clamps or brackets I9 that hold the bearing assembly on the structure 'l are prof vided to facilitate the adjustment of the spindle.

A removable cover 20 is provided for the top of the feed chamber and the material to be pumped may be supplied to the chamber through an opening 2l in the end wall. The discharge for the pump comprises an openingv 22 in the plate I3' which registers with a duct 23 extending upwardly through the walls of the feed chamber; a suitable pipe 24 may be coupled to the discharge duct to conduct the material away from the pump.

The spindle is driven by an electric motor 25 mounted on a web 26 secured to the support 'l and braced by a rod 21, the spindle and motor being coupled by pulleys 28 and 29 and a tl-belt 30.

The inclination of the spindle has the effect of rotating the impeller casing away from its conventional inaccessible position into a position Where it can be detached without moving any other parts of the pump assembly. The impeller may thus be inspected, replaced, or repaired without disturbing any parts of the pump assembly except the plates I3 and Iii. Neither the supply nor discharge pipes need be disconnected as they cannot interfere with the removal of the plates.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the plates I3 and I4 are sealed to prevent leakage by suitable gaskets 3| and 32 surrounding the openings I0 and 23, respectively, in the wall II and a gasket 33 surrounding the entire pump chamber including the discharge opening 22 in the .plate I3. When the 3 bolts I5 are tightened, the gaskets 3| and 32 are compressed between the plate I3 and the wall II and the gasket 33 is compressed between the plates I3 and I4. In order to facilitate the alinement of the bolt holes -when assembling the plates I3 and I4 on the pump and also to support ythe plates during removal, a hook or hinge bar 34 is secured to the wall II at the upper edge of the plates. This bar passes through and fits loosely in openings 35 and 36 in the plates I3 and I4, respectively. The hook is constructed and arranged so that the plates I3 and Iii may hang thereon without other support.

Different operating conditions may make it desirable to employ different types of pump impellers. For example, some materials may be handled more readily with a closed passage runner or impeller such as shown in Fig. l-A. Except for its impeller and casing the pump shown in this ligure is of the same construction as that in Fig. 1 and corresponding pa-rts have been designated by the same numerals. The impeller 3l in Fig. lA is of generally cylindrical form with an intake opening 38 about its hub and a plurality of radially extending passages 3s. The pump casing comprises plates 4i) and lil corresponding to the plates I3 and I4 in Fig. 1. The plate ill is flat but in other respects the two plates are the same as the plates I3 and Id and are secu-red and sealed in the same manner.

The impeller 31 is detachably secured to the spindle Il by a tapered fit and by a threaded nut 42. It is readily apparent that the arrangement of the pump assembly makes it possible to substitute the pump impeller and casing plates of Fig. 1A for those of Fig. l quickly and without disturbing any of the remaining parts ofthe pump or its connections for the supply and dis-- charge of the pumped material` While gravity feed centrifugal pumps are constructed normally with vertical shafts it has been found that entirely satisfactory operating characteristics may be obtained with the pump shaft inclined. Heavy sludges and sand bearing concentrates may be handled Without noticeable decrease in pump eiiciency and the ease of obtaining access to the interior of the impeller casing greatly decreases the time of shutdown necessary for servicing repairs. The overall height of the pump assembly when the shaft is inclined at is about the same as that of a similar vertical shaft pump, and the intake opening for the feed chamber may be provided at the same distance above the supporting surface as that of the vertical pump. Obviously, for some applications it may be desirable to mount the spindle at an angle of inclination greater or less than 45.

It is apparent from the foregoing that this invention provides a compact pump structure which affords ready access to all working parts of the pump structure and which minimizes the time and diilculty of making service adjustments and replacements.

Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described and illustrated, other modifications will occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore it is not desired to limit the invention to the specific construction shown and described and it is intended by the `appended claims to cover all modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention.

In certain uses of pumps of the above described character the feed to the pump will contain occasional bits or pieces of foreign matter,-` such as tramp iron or the like. which it is desirable to CII eliminate before damage is done to the operating parts. To this end, the bottom closure member may have a pocket or trap formed therein or otherwise suitably attached, the lower end 46 of which preferably opens to atmosphere and normally is closed by a valve 41. Being located adjacent the lower portion of the uid body within the pump, such heavy pieces or objects will collect in the trap without circulating through the pump and may be periodically removed by suitable opening and closing operation of valve tl. While I prefer to use a valve control as hereinbefore described, it will be apparent that if desired, a suitable plug may be located in the outer end of the trap instead of a valve.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A centrifugal pump of the gravity feed type comprising a support for mounting said pump on a supporting surface, a spindle and spindle bearing mounted on said support at an inclination to the vertical, an impeller on the lower end of said spindle, a casing positioned near to the bottom of said support and surrounding said impeller and removably secured to said support,

said casing having upwardly opening intake and discharge ports, and means providing a feed chamber having a drain opening in communication with said intake port, the inclination of said spindle being sufficient to afford removal of said casing to secure access to said impeller while the remainder of said pump is in its normal operating position.

2. A centrifugal pump of the gravity feed type comprising a support for mounting said pump on a supporting surface, a spindle and spindle bearing mounted on said support at an inclination to the vertical, an impeller on the lower end of said spindle, a Casing positioned near to the bottom of said support and surrounding said impeller and removably secured to said support, said casing having upwardly opening intake'and discharge ports, and means providing a feed chamber having a substantially ilat wall extending transversely of said spindle and having a drain opening therethrough in communication with said intake port, said casing being detachably secured to said wall and extending near to the bottom of said support and the inclination of said spindle being sufficient to afford removal of said casing to secure access to said impeller while the remainder of said pump is in its normal operating position.

3. A centrifugal pump of the gravity feed type comprising a support for mounting said pump on a supporting surface, a spindle and spindle bearing mounted on said support at an inclination to the vertical, means providing a feed chamber surrounding said spindle and having a substantially flat downwardly facing wall with a drain opening therein about said spindle, and an impeller casing positioned near to the bottom of said support and comprising upper and lower plates detachably secured to said wall, said upper plate having an intake port in communication with said drain opening and a discharge port near the outer edge thereof, an impeller removably mounted on the lower end of said spindle within said casing, the inclination of said spindle being suiiicient to yafford removal and replacement of said casing and said impeller while the remainder of said pump is in its normal operating position.

4. A centrifugal pump of the gravity feed type comprising a support for mounting said pump on a supporting surface, a spindle and spindle bearing mounted on said support at an inclination to the vertical, means providing a feed chamber surrounding said spindle and having a substantially flat downwardly facing wall with a drain opening therein about said spindle, said wall also having a second opening spaced from said drain opening, means providing an upwardly extending duct in communication with said second opening, an impeller casing positioned near to the bottom of said support and comprising upper and lower plates detachably secured to said wall, said upper plate having an intake port in communication with said drain opening and a discharge port in communication with said second opening, an impeller removably mounted on the lower end of said spindle within .said casing for producing a forced flow of liquid from said feed chamber upwardly through said duct, the inclination of said spinde being sufficient to afford removal and replacement of said casing and said impeller while the remainder of said pump is in its normal operating position.

5. A centrifugal pump of the gravit-y feed type comprismg a support, a spindle and a spindle bearing mounted on said support at an inclina.- tion to the vertical, a feed chamber having an inclined bottom wall extending transversely of said spindle and having a drain opening therein abou said spindle, an impeller detachably mounted on the lower end of said spindle below said wall, an impeller casinir detachably secured to the lower side of said wall and surrounding said impeller, and a guide rod secured to said wall near the top of said casing and loosely engaging said casing for hingedly supporting said casing to facilitate the movement of said casing into and out of its position on said wall.

6. A centrifugal pump of the gravity feed type comprising a support, a spindle and a spindle bearing mounted on said support at an inclination to the vertical, a feed chamber having an inclined bottom wall extending transversely of said spindle and having a drain opening therein about -said spindle, an impeller detachably mounted on the lower end of said spindle below said wall, a pair of plates arranged one on either side of said impeller and formed to provide a pump chamber about said impeller, a plurality of bolts for detachably securing said plates in position on said wall, said plates having registering openings therethrough near their upper edges, and a guide rod secured to said wall and extending through said openings whereby said plates may be swung on said rod into and out of position for attachment to said Wall.

7. A centrifugal pump of the gravity feed type comprising a support, a spindle and a spindle bearing mounted on said support at an inclination to the vertical, a feed chamber having an inclined bottom wall extending transversely of said spindle and having a drain opening therein about said spindle, and having a second opening spaced from said drain opening, means providing a duct extending upwardly from said second opening, a pair of plates detachably secured to the lower Cil lll

side of said wall and having a pump chamber formed therebetween, the one of said plates adjacent said wall having an intake port communieating with said drain opening and a discharge port registering with said second opening, an impeller detachably secured to the lower end of said spindle and arranged to rotate in said pump chamber, and means including packing members between said wall and said one plate and encircling said intake and discharge ports and a packing between said plates and encircling said pump chamber for sealing said pump.

8. A centrifugal pump of the gravity feed type comprising a support, a spindle and a spindle bearing mounted on said support at an inclination to the vertical, a feed chamber havin-g an inclined bottom Wall extending transversely of said spindle and having a drain opening therein about said spindle, an impeller detachably mounted on the lower end of said spindle below said wall, and an .ier detachably secured to the lower of said wall surrounding said impeller and being accessible from beneath without requiring the movement of said support.

9. In a centrifugal pump of the type having a rotary impeller, the combination of a casing enclosing said impeiler and havinga feed inlet adjacent the hub of the impeller and an outlet paS- sage adjacent the periphery of said impeller, means comprising a rotatable shaft for mounting the impeller for rotation within the casing about an axis inclined to the vertical, and removable means carried by the casing and permitting access to the impeller from beneath.

lo. In a centrifugal pump of the type having a rotary impeller, the combination of a sectional casing enclosing said impeller and provided with feed inlet and outlet passages, and means for mounting the impeller for rotation within the casing about an axis inclined to the vertical, said casing having a section located beneath the impeller removable independently of the remainder of said casing to permit access to said impeller.

l1. In a centrifugal pump of the type having a rotary impeller mounted for rotation about an axis inclined to the vertical, the combination of a casingfor enclosing said impeller, a trap having an outlet port located on the casing and being in communication with the interior of said pump, and manually-controlled means for normally sealing the trap outlet port.

JOHN H. V. FINNEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date .11,428,173 Lobb Sept. 5, 1922 2,127,962 Rosener Aug. 23, 1938 2,214,677 North Sept. 10, 1940 2,281,682 England May 5, 1942 2,372,538 White Mar. 27, 1945 2,397,718 Albertson Apr. 2, 1946 

